In our last installment on Love & Money, Renee Scott shares her tips to couponing and saving your family money at the grocery store.
by Renee Scott
I love couponing!
There is nothing better than saving more on your grocery bill than you actually spend. It is a tremendous way to avoid paying more on groceries than you need to. For the record, I am NOT one of the ladies you see on the popular reality show, “Extreme Couponing.” I don’t have a separate room in my house or a custom built garage shelving system that holds hundreds of boxes of cereal and toiletry items. I’m just a gal who loves to save!
- My pantry
I was introduced to couponing about 18 months ago through my son’s daycare. The church was offering a free couponing class for the community. To this day I can’t even remember why I decided to give up a Saturday morning to attend. Boy I’m happy I did!
Since that day, I save on average 50%-60% on my grocery bill. We are a family of four who used to consistently spend $550-$600 a month on groceries. We now pay about $300 a month (including pull ups for the 3 year old). A recent shopping trip at Publix cost me $26 for nearly $100 in groceries.
- Items from a recent shopping trip
The whole basis behind couponing is to purchase (stock-pile) items your family uses while it is discounted at its lowest price. You then combine your coupons with low prices or Buy One Get One (BOGO) free deals to save, save, save!
Here are a few steps that I follow every week for couponing success:
- Purchase 4 papers weekly (Always purchase an even number of papers depending on the size of your family)
- File the coupon inserts in a filing box (shown in picture)
- Review couponing website for coupon match ups at local grocery store (Publix BOGO’s are normally the best deals)
- Pick up free coupons all over the grocery store (most people don’t realize that coupons are normally near the front door, placed around end caps, or down the aisles )
- Stock pile items at their lowest price (this does not suggest you hoard items)
- My file box for storing and organizing coupons
If you are interested in couponing, I would highly suggest attending a free class that provides the basics of the program. I personally recommend Truecouponing.com. There are several offerings in the area but I love Truecouponing because it is faith based and FREE. New to couponing? Check out this great tutorial on their website.
The greatest gift that couponing affords me is the opportunity to share my abundance. Whether it’s giving a care bag to the homeless, cooking dinner for a friend or donating toiletry items to the elderly, I am able to fulfill God’s desire of sharing with others. Couponing requires time, patience, and organization but it is well worth the 2-3 hours of my time each week. In my eyes, it’s a 2nd job that allows me to work from home.
~1 Timothy 6:18~
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
If you are a couponer, we would love to hear about your testimony of savings. Leave us a comment on our Facebook page. This link will take you there.
Renee Scott is co-founder of the popular blog, Double Portion Inspiration, where she shares encouragement and inspiration to men and women all over the world. She’s been a member of Grace Family Church for four years. She loves to run and recently completed her first half marathon. She is a wife of over 14 years and mother of two children.